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Unless there's something to it that distinguishes it from rice you've cooked yourself (is there? I'm happy to be wrong!), I don't understand why people buy those sachets of par-cooked rice. Rice isn't that complicated or time-consuming!

Unless there's something to it that distinguishes it from rice you've cooked yourself (is there? I'm happy to be wrong!), I don't understand why people buy those sachets of par-cooked rice. Rice isn't that complicated or time-consuming!

I've had it and it's not so great. Not terrible, but *meh* compared to freshly cooked rice. Even living as a lazy and temporarily single person I don't find it's worth it. But last year I overheard a group of people talking about it and how fabulous it was. So convenient, saves time, perfectly cooked, etc. I suspect a lot of people find rice painful to cook, particularly if they are from a potatoes & noodles eating background and rice isn't a big part of their diet.

I too don't understand purchasing bottles and bottles of water when you have perfectly nice and safe tap water. For most (but not all) of us living in places where the water is less than stellar a Brita filter or similar is more cost- and waste-efficient. Just buy a re-usable bottle, for heaven's sake! Having said that I currently have several 10-litre containers of water in the house because we're still on a voluntary boil water alert after the recent floods, and the water in my rainwater tank was doubling as a bird bath until we put another cover over the filter.

Unless there's something to it that distinguishes it from rice you've cooked yourself (is there? I'm happy to be wrong!), I don't understand why people buy those sachets of par-cooked rice. Rice isn't that complicated or time-consuming!

I've had it and it's not so great. Not terrible, but *meh* compared to freshly cooked rice. Even living as a lazy and temporarily single person I don't find it's worth it. But last year I overheard a group of people talking about it and how fabulous it was. So convenient, saves time, perfectly cooked, etc. I suspect a lot of people find rice painful to cook, particularly if they are from a potatoes & noodles eating background and rice isn't a big part of their diet.

Surely potatoes prepared in basically any form, aside from plain boiled or baked potatoes, are more labour intensive than rice--particularly if you throw down some pocket change in the direction of a small rice cooker.

Shirley Corriher says that self-rising flour is better because manufacturers have access to more and better leavening agents, and are more thoroughly mixed than we can achieve. Also, she points out that many recipes call for an incorrect amount of baking powder or soda. I can see that southerners who make biscuits or cornbread almost daily would find it a great convenience. I may give it a try for baked goods, but can't see using it as my go-to flour for everyday use. Who wants self-rising gravy?

I use those little packets of dishwashing detergent, mainly because the powders and liquids are very heavy for my arthritic hands, but also because those powders get up my nose. When I first started using the packets, they were much more reasonably priced than they are now.

My candidates for "don't understand" are mixes for things that only call for a few ingredients. Popover mix for example. Perhaps people buy these things because they have no idea how they are made.

Shirley Corriher says that self-rising flour is better because manufacturers have access to more and better leavening agents, and are more thoroughly mixed than we can achieve. Also, she points out that many recipes call for an incorrect amount of baking powder or soda. I can see that southerners who make biscuits or cornbread almost daily would find it a great convenience. I may give it a try for baked goods, but can't see using it as my go-to flour for everyday use. Who wants self-rising gravy?

So much of North America is far above sea level. Does self-rising flour fit in anywhere?

Surely potatoes prepared in basically any form, aside from plain boiled or baked potatoes, are more labour intensive than rice--particularly if you throw down some pocket change in the direction of a small rice cooker.

I would agree, but I think it has more to do with the familiarity of potatoes and the perception of rice as a thing you eat with restaurant foods, rather than with dishes you make at home. Pasta is simple because you boil a lot of water, throw in the pasta and set the time. Potatoes are simple because you have always had them and know how to deal with them and as a rule they are all about boiling in water in a pot. Rice seems harder because you need to measure it and the cooking water accurately and cook it at the correct temperature so as not to burn it (excluding a rice cooker). Add that to a cooking style that doesn't really complement rice-based dishes and you can see how rice gives an impression of being troublesome.

Water: I filter my own at home.
Bisquick: I can make better tasting food from better ingredients more cheaply.
Salad Dressings: Again, I can make better and cheaper dressings from scratch.
Powdered Sauce Packets: Really? You need a reason? None of these sauces is that hard to make for real.
Many Canned Vegetables: Fresh or frozen vegetables generally taste better. (I do like canned tomatoes.)
Canned Soup: Once again, scratch tastes better and is cheaper.
Dinner Assembly Kits: I can pull all of the dry parts out of my pantry more cheaply, and a fresh sauce is better.
Supermarket Baked Goods: They're frightfully bad.
Baking Mixes: Saving a tiny amount of time isn't worth sacrificing flavor.
Spice Blends: I can mix my own, thank you.
Frozen Toast
Frozen PB&J
Frozen Garlic Bread
Frozen Waffles & Pancakes
Cocktail Mixers

Cheez Whiz and Velveeta are another pair of things that people buy and I don't understand. Especially when there's real cheese available.

I see what you're saying, but I can't make mac and cheese without using Velveeta. It makes it SO creamy and good.

And, I do love some Cheez Whiz on a philly steak sandwich.....

I'm from Kansas. Don't mock me.

Ditto. Except I'm from Virginia . Actually I have NO business being appalled at what other people buy. I remember being stunned that my nieces had never seen anyone make pancakes from scratch, but I'm 'guilty' of many, many of the things mentioned above. I use those microwave rice packets a lot. I like them and they take 90 seconds. I sometimes have self-rising flour on hand. Most southern cooks I know do too. I cook cakes from scratch most of the time, but I always have mixes on hand just in case, plus I like the texture - wish my homemade cakes could have that texture, in fact. And on and on and on. I know that there are a LOT of folks, especially here at eG that don't ever take a shortcut or eat food that isn't completely from scratch. But that's not me. Never will be. It's not something that bothers me too much. I get a lot of pleasure seeing those folks cook and seeing the amazing things that they create. But is that going to lead me in the same direction? Probably not.

We make queso dip with Velveeta and salsa or Rotel tomatoes during football season. I buy frozen vegetables quite a bit since the selection here is not that great and there are no farmer's markets. Of course, I don't do this when my own garden is producing, but last year all my plants just cooked in the sun despite watering and feeding.

Your nieces sound like my SIL who had never had real mashed potatoes until she moved away from home. Her mother is a fan of instant foods, and it frosts my brother's butt to have to eat at her house when they visit.

I remember - not fondly - tinned (canned) peas. Unfortunate off-green colour, squishy texture, taste like .. well, I could say but it would be an insult to makers of good Pinot Noir. I could never understand why anybody would buy them rather than frozen or even dried.

'Gravy' ingredients like Bisto result in something which looks a bit like gravy but doesn't taste remotely like juice-from-meat. Much better to use ... well, juice from meat.

"Those little plastic packets you put in the dishwasher instead of liquid or powder detergent."

hey! I love those things!
they actually where highly rated by consumer reports (at least the ones i buy).
the convenience factor is massive.
when i use liquid goo, inevitably, the little detergent door gets gunked up and stuck, and i have to spend time cleaning it up.
but hey, i used liquid for years before i switched.

I remember - not fondly - tinned (canned) peas. Unfortunate off-green colour, squishy texture, taste like .. well, I could say but it would be an insult to makers of good Pinot Noir. I could never understand why anybody would buy them rather than frozen or even dried.

A tin of "Processed peas" is one of my secret shames. I love them, even though I know I shouldn't.

I can't understand why people buy pre-sliced or pre-grated cheese. To me it always tastes like plastic.

I never bought self rising flour while in the US. I do now in Australia as I'm finding more recipes here using it. Still, I mainly used it when I had to bake for the kiddies at school. As I don't work there anymore, I have not touched it since.

Canned mushrooms - I will use canned straw mushrooms, but not button mushrooms. I just don't like it. Same goes for canned asparagus.

I remember - not fondly - tinned (canned) peas. Unfortunate off-green colour, squishy texture, taste like .. well, I could say but it would be an insult to makers of good Pinot Noir. I could never understand why anybody would buy them rather than frozen or even dried.

A tin of "Processed peas" is one of my secret shames. I love them, even though I know I shouldn't.

I can't understand why people buy pre-sliced or pre-grated cheese. To me it always tastes like plastic.

Cheez Whiz and Velveeta are another pair of things that people buy and I don't understand. Especially when there's real cheese available.

I see what you're saying, but I can't make mac and cheese without using Velveeta. It makes it SO creamy and good.

And, I do love some Cheez Whiz on a philly steak sandwich.....

I'm from Kansas. Don't mock me.

No worries - I'm showing my bias as well. I think I was probably 5 or 6 years old before I realized that all cheese wasn't white - I recall balking at a grilled cheese sandwich at a friend's house because "cheese isn't orange! Are you sure that's safe to eat?"

Besides which, I don't have to understand it - other people clearly like Cheez Whiz and Velveeta, but that doesn't mean I have to.....

Surely potatoes prepared in basically any form, aside from plain boiled or baked potatoes, are more labour intensive than rice--particularly if you throw down some pocket change in the direction of a small rice cooker.

I would agree, but I think it has more to do with the familiarity of potatoes and the perception of rice as a thing you eat with restaurant foods, rather than with dishes you make at home. Pasta is simple because you boil a lot of water, throw in the pasta and set the time. Potatoes are simple because you have always had them and know how to deal with them and as a rule they are all about boiling in water in a pot. Rice seems harder because you need to measure it and the cooking water accurately and cook it at the correct temperature so as not to burn it (excluding a rice cooker). Add that to a cooking style that doesn't really complement rice-based dishes and you can see how rice gives an impression of being troublesome.

I've been cooking rice like pasta for years and eliminated any problems with stickiness, etc... My go-to rice is basmati, so I also soak it for 20-30 minutes before cooking it and it cooks up super fast and ends up fluffy - I just have to remember to test it because it can get mushy if I let it go too long. I drain it in a small sieve and then put the sieve back in the pot with the lid loosely over the whole thing while I finish up whatever else I am making. If I want to flavor it I flavor the water or I might gently toss in a little butter and seasoning when I finish cooking it. And I always salt the water, just like pasta as well.

I don't like Basmati rice. I like short-grained rice and I love my rice cooker.

On orange-y cheeses: My youngest loves him some mac n cheese or shells and cheese. The Velveeta kind. He boils the pasta and mixes it up himself, so I figure he's cooking more than a lot of adults I know.

I'm with Shelby on the Velveeta for homemade mac n cheese. I've probably tried one hundred baked mac n cheese recipes and decided that I just don't like my mac n cheese baked. I want it saucy, not slicable.

I've been cooking rice like pasta for years and eliminated any problems with stickiness, etc... My go-to rice is basmati, so I also soak it for 20-30 minutes before cooking it and it cooks up super fast and ends up fluffy - I just have to remember to test it because it can get mushy if I let it go too long. I drain it in a small sieve and then put the sieve back in the pot with the lid loosely over the whole thing while I finish up whatever else I am making. If I want to flavor it I flavor the water or I might gently toss in a little butter and seasoning when I finish cooking it. And I always salt the water, just like pasta as well.

That's very similar to the Persian and Iraqi way to cook rice - soak in salted water, boil in lots of water till half-cooked, drain, throw the water out, and add the rice back to the pot with some butter or oil in the pot. Steam for another half our or so over low-ish heat, or even longer, until a nice crust forms (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahdig)

I don't like Basmati rice. I like short-grained rice and I love my rice cooker.

Do you add salt and some kind of fat? With those Basmati rice is divine, without - very boring.

Count me as an avid scratch baker (yeast and otherwise) who likes self-rising flour. Someone mentioned upthread about self-rising being lower-protein than AP, and I concur: it's perfect for biscuits, featherlight cupcakes, and quickbreads. The microdistribution of the baking powder is great--I don't have to sift, sift, sift.

But I can't figure out why ANYONE would buy precooked, frozen, microwave RICE. It takes just 20 minutes to cook rice from scratch...and we're not talking about a flavored or seasoned product. It's just plain, white rice, frozen & microwaveable.

I like Bisquick. I grew up eating Biquick-related baked goods/meals. I've said this before but my mom's peach cobbler, topped with Bisquick dough, can kick your mom's peach cobbler's ass any day of the week. I like some bottled salad dressings. If you can make your own and it taste better in your opinion, then get down with your bad self and the more power to you. Just don't look down your nose at me in the checkout line with my bottled salad dressing.